Pneumatic or hydraulic milking apparatus.



No. 678,23l. Patented July 9; Bill.

C. VON BECHTOLSHEIM. I PNEUMATIC AND, HYDRAULIC MILKINGAPPARATUS.

(Application filed June 17, 1899.) "(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

N0. 678,23l. Patented July 9, l90l.

C. VON BECHTULSHEIM.

PNEUMATIC AND HYDRAULIC MILKING APPARATUS.

(Application filefi June 1'], 1899.)

3 Sheets$h'eet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENS VON BECIITOLSHEIM, OF MUNICH, GERMANY.

PNEUMATIC OR HYDRAULIC lVllLKlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,231, dated July 1901- Application filed zrune misso.

To all whom it may concern-.- Beit known that I, CLEMENsvoN BEoHToL- SHEIM, engineer, of Maria Theresiastrasse 27, Munich, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pneumatic or Hydraulic Milking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement on those milking machines in which the teats are milked by air or water pressure intermittently applied.

The improvement consists in providing the milking-machine with an automatic reversing mechanism, so that a constant pressure prevailing in the conduit for the fluid is changed by the reversing-gear at the proper moment into an intermittent pressure in the machine itself. The advantage of great simplicity is thereby gained for the entire operation, because it is no longer necessary to have in the pressure-conduit the two pressure intervals. Besides this, there is obtained further advantage that one is not bound for the Working of the milking-machine to two different pressure periods in the conductingpipes, but may feed the several parts of the milking-machine with the pressure fluid in any succession desired, just as may be necessary for the proper function of these parts.

The drawings illustrate the invention adapted to a milking-machine which is constructed after patent application, Serial No. 680,187, of May 9, 1898, in Fig. 5. With this milking-machine diametrically opposite teats are milked simultaneously by opposite up and-down movement of the milking-organsin pairs. The drawings thus show an example of the operation of the invention for this special case. When other constructions of milking-machines are used, the invention has to be adapted to them.

In Figure 1a milking-machine with this improvement is represented in vertical section on the broken line A B C, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 illustrates a plan of the machine with teats in section-that is to say, a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line D E F G. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the milking-machine in perspective View and in two difierent working positions. Fig. 5 is a front view of the reversing-gear of Fig. 1 on a larger scale, the cover of the slidesrmno. 720,979. (No model.)

' box being removed. Fig. 6 represents a vertical section of Fig. 5 on the line H J. In Fig. 7 another example of the operation of the reversing-gear is represented in vertical section. Fig. 8 represents the right-hand side of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 illustrates another example of the reversing-gear, as shown, by a vertical section in which the reversing-gear is represented as a so-called indirect one.-

In Fig. 10 the invention is represented in vertical section in a milking machine which works with vacuum.

In Figs. 1 to 6 a milking-machine is provided with the present improvement represented, whichoperates like that described in the patent application, Serial No. 680,187, of May'9, 1898, Fig. 5. It consists, essentially, of a pair of milking-cups 13 and of another 17, that reciprocally ascend and descend and drain the teats by rubber linings applied on the inside. In the position set forth in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6 of the drawings the pair of cups 13, which are slidingly connected with the working cylinder by the frame-like arms 12, stand at their upper limit, while the pair of cups which are connected with the piston 14,

. by means of the piston-rod 15 and the arms 16,'are found in their lower position. No external pressure is present with the upgoing cups 13 in the space 31 between the cup-wall and the rubber lining, so that the latter lie close to the cup-walland receive the teats 41. On the contrary, with cups 17 pressure prevails in this space 31, so that the rubber linings 30are compressed inward and the teats 40, contained therein, are drained and the milk runs off through the pipes 32. This up-and-down movement of the cups is further elucidated in Figs. 3 and at, in which Fig. 4 represents the positions of the parts just .before the end of the downward movement of the pistons, and Fig. 3 represents them shortly before the upward movement of the same.

In the milking-machine disclosed in Fig. 5 of the patent application, Serial No. 680,187, of May 9, 1898, the motion of'the piston, as well as the function of the cups, is produced in such a manner that the upper cylinderspace and the pair of cups moving with the conduit, while the lower cylinder-space and the pair of cups fastened to the cylinder are fed by another pressure-conduit, in both of which conduits alternating pressures prevail. lVith the present improvement, on the contrary, merely one pressure-conduit 28 is employed, in which no intermittent, but a constant pressure prevails. In order to convert the constant pressure in this conduit into a variable one for the cylinder-spaces as well as for the pair of cups, a reversing-gear mechanism is applied to the apparatus. The reversing-gear herein described is a double one, for the air-pressu re must be reversed for the piston as well as for the cups. In Figs. 1 to 6 a sliding gear for this purpose is employed, consisting of a large slide 19, which reverses the air for the cups, and a small slide 26, which reverses the air for the cylinder-spaces. Both of these slides are located in the slidebox 18, that is applied to the lower side of the cylinder 11. The movement of these slides is such that the slide 19, the upper part of which embracesthe slide 26 by means of a frame 23, is connected with a slide-rod 25, the upper end of which carries an enlargement 43. This slide-rod projects into the hollow piston-rod 15 and is pushed downward at the end of the downward stroke by the pin 42, and in an upward direction at the end of the upward movement of the piston by the narrower bore of the piston 14. The slide 26 is carried along by the frame 23 of the slide 19. It makes a somewhat shorter stroke than the slide 19. In the frame 23 there are two recesses 24 in order not to prevent the entrance of the air into the interior of the slidebox connected with the pipes 36 and 37.

In Figs. 1, 5, and 6 are illustrated the conditions just before the lower limit of the piston is reached and in which the two slides 19 and 26 are still found in their highest positions. In consequence thereof the down-going cups 17 stand in connection with the slidebox space and through it with the pressuresupply and with the upper cylinder-space by means of the small pipe 36. The lower pistonspace, on the contrary, is connected through the small pipe 37 and the opening 38 in the slide-surface with the outside air, as also are the two cups 13 through the rubber tubes 33 and 34 and the opening 39. With the downward stroke of the slide-rod the slide 19 moves, while the slide 26 still remains in its position. The slide 19 is, however, shorter than the respective distances of the slide-surface openings leading to the pipes 34 and 35, so that bot-l1 stand under pressure at the middle position of this slide. During this moment all the four cups are closed. It is indeed necessary that the cups 13 close themselves before the cups 17 open themselves again, lest the apparatus would fall away from the teats. At the further downward stroke of the slide 19 the tube 35 and the cup 17 come into communication with the outside air. Also the slide 26 is pushed downward by the frame 23, and the air-pressure for the cylinder is reversed, whereupon the piston moves upward and the operation repeats itself. This reversing with very slow strokes has, however, the disadvantage that a stop on the dead-point is not excluded. This can be avoided by controlling-gear disclosed in Figs. 7 and 8, or by another indirect startingear represented in Fig. 9, or by a similar one.

For the controller shown in Figs. 7 and 8 two slides 19 and 26 serve, while, however, the air-pressure coming from the conduit 28 is led not over but under the hollow space of the slides by means of the ducts 44 and 45. The slides must therefore be pressed against the slide-surface 21 by means of spring force.

The slide 19 is pressed against the slide-surface by the spring 22 and the rod 46, which engages the hinge-joint 47 of the slide, while the slide is kept down by the plate 27, that covers the frame 23. In the designed position the rod 46 of the joint 47 exercises a force not merely against the slide-surface, but also at the same time one of an upward direction. If, however, this slide 19 is shoved in the downward stroke beyond its middle position, then it completes by itself the rest of its stroke, taking along with it the slide 26 under the influence of the spring 22, because at such time the rod 46 presses it in a downward direction. With this construction the two slide-surface openings 34 and 35 at the middle position of the slide 19 must come to lie entirely within the hollow space of the same in order that at the moment of the change of the lifts all the four cups stand under pressure at one time.

In order that the slide 19 may not overstcp its course, the pin 18 is applied.

In Fig. 9 is shown a construction with indirectly-working reversing-gear for the cylinder-spaces. The slide 19, in a similar way as in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, is reversed by the rod 25. This distribution of the air for the cylinder-spaces is here accomplished, however, by the piston-slide 49, which moves to and fro under the influence of the pressures dominating in 52 and 54. The tube 36 leads to the upper cylinder-space and the tube 37 to the lower. In the moment represented by Figs. 1, 5, and 6 of the drawings, which corresponds with the downward stroke of the piston 14, the air-pressure in Fig. 9 goes through the conduit 35 and 51 to the cups 17, as well as also into the piston-slide space 52 on the left side, and from there through the conduit 36 into the upper cylinder-space, while the air below the piston escapes into the open air through the conduit 37, the space 55, and the opening 38. Toward the end of the lift the slide 19 again attains its intermediate position, whereby the conduits 34 and 53 also come under pressure and the cups 13 seize the teats. The pistonslide 49 still remains in its position, however, because on both sides of 52 and 54 even pres- IIO cylinder-space are thereby put under pres-' sure from the space 54, while the upper cylinder-space comes into connection with the spaces 55 through the tube 36 and the pressure medium above the Working piston can escape through the opening 38. The working piston 14 now goes upward and the same working process develops in the opposite direction.

The invention can be embodied in essen-' tially simple form in its application to milking-machines of the type referred to in Figs. 1 and 2 of the patent application, Serial No. 680,187, of May 9, 1898, because that machine does not-hang on the teats and all the four cups fastened to the cylinder are opened and closed at the same time. The cups and pistons therefore need no separate reversing devices, and therefore could assume the same shape in which they are used with directlyworking steam-pumps or with pneumatic devices.

If one wishes to use milking-cups that work with intermittent vacuum, such as are used in the German Patent No. 89,188, of June 25, 1895,the present invention is still applicable in a similar mode. This is represented in Fig. 10. The rubber cups so operate that the teats in them are exposed intermittently to two different vacuums. During the period of the lesser vacuum the teats are merely sucked into the cups like the teats 41 are into cups 57. In the period of the greater vacunm, on the contrary, the gum cup is pressed together by the outside air pressure, and thereby the teats are milked, as is teat 40 in cup 56. While with the cups .working by compressed air the tubes 33 and 33 served for the operation (see Fig. 1) and the milk flowed off through the tube 32, with these vaccuum-cups used in Fig. 10 the milk-discharging-tubes 58 59 serve at the same time for the inducing-vacuum. The milk in this case must pass the reversing devices. The other part of the machine is completelyidentical with the machine represented in Figs. 1 to 6, with the difference that in the slidebox no pressure but atmospheric pressure or the above-mentioned vacuum prevails, the outside air entering the same either through a simple opening or through a spring-loaded valve 62. On the contrary, the two slide-surface openings 38 and 39 do not'discharge into the open air, but stand in connection with the vacuum-conduit 28 by means of the tubes 44 and 45. Through this tube at the same time the milk flows into the milk-pail 60, that constantly stands under the large vacuum,

the air being pumped out through the tube 61.

In Fig. 10, as compared with Figs. 1 to 6, a further difference in the construction existsnamely, While with the cups operated by the compressed air, Figs. 1 to 6, at the moment of the change of pressure all the four cups had to stand in connection with the slidebox space, in Fig. 10 at this time all the cups must stand in connection with the space under the slide 19. While, therefore, in Figs. 1 to 6 the slide 19 had to be shorter than the distance of slide-surface openings leading to 34 and 35, in Fig. 10 the hollow space of the cup must be larger than the distance of these slide-surface openings; but whether working by direct pressure or vacuum the principle is the same in that both the ports which control communication with the cups must at the time of reversing the movement of the piston be opened to the influence of the actuating medium, (pressure or vacuum.)

I do not limit myself to the use of any specific actuating medium. I may use a fluidpressure, by which is meant a gaseous body, such as atmospheric air, or a liquid body under pressure in the feed-conduit, or I may employ vacuum induced in the feed-conduit by withdrawing or partiallyexhausting either a gaseous or liquid body. I therefore employ in the claims the term actuating medium 7 as meaning either pressure (gaseous or liquid) or vacuum for actuating the parts.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a milking-machine the combination of milking-organs operated by a variable actuating medium, means for vertically reciprocating said milking-organs, an actuating-medium conduit communicating with the milk ing-organs and reciprocating means, and automatic distributing-valves changing the actuating medium in the conduit into a variable medium in the milking-organs and the reciprocating means respectively.

2. In a milking-machine the combination of milking-organs, and a vertically-reciprocating means therefor, each controlled by a variable actuating medium, conduits 33, 35, and 33 34 through which the actuating medium is communicated to the respective milkingorgans, conduits 36, 37 through which the actuating medium is communicated to opposite sides of the reciprocating means, a conduit 28 through which the influence of said actuating medium is communicated to the ma chine, a slide for controlling communication between said conduit 7 28 and the conduits 36, 37 of the milking-organ, and a slide for controlling communication between said conduit and ports of the reciprocating means, the slide of the milking-organ bein g actuated by the reciprocating means and constructed to open both milking-organ ports as the reciprocating means reaches either limit of its prevented from falling away at the time of such reversal.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

CL. FRllRR. V. BECIITOLSIIEIM.

\Vitnesses:

ERNEST HUNGERBIS, Semx, B. NUSBAUM. 

